Ice cube ejector



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ICE CUBE EJECTOR Filed Dec. 15, 1958 aa/aj 05 657W w, /W

United States Patent 3,031,863 ICE CUBE EJECTOR Adolph D. Corn,Evansville, Ind., assignor to Whirlpool Corporation, a corporation ofDelaware Filed Dec. 15, 1958, Ser. No. 780,276 4 Claims. (Cl. 62-362)This invention relates to an ice maker and in particular to means forejecting ice bodies in an automatic ice maker.

In an automatic ice body maker, such as that disclosed in copendingRobert W. Fink application 609,623, filed September 13, 1956, now issuedas U.S. Patent 2,981,079, dated April 25, 1961, and owned by the commonassignee, water is frozen in a mold having a frusto-conical cavityclosed at its lower end by an ejector pin. Upon completion of thefreezing step, the resultant ice body is forcibly ejected from thecavity by applying an impact force to the ejector pin. The structure ofthe present invention permits ejection of the ice bodies withsubstantially no, or at least greatly reduced, breakage of the icebodies even under the considerable force required.

A principal feature of this invention is the provision of a new andimproved means for ejecting an ice body from a mold cavity.

Another feature is the provision of such a means which provides suitableejection force while substantially eliminating shattering and breakageof the ice body during the ejection operation.

A further feature is the provision of such means wherein the ice bodycavity is inverted substantially frustoconical and the ejector pin isprovided with an upper segmentally spherical end for transferring animpact force to the ice body, the apex of the frusto-conical cavity andthe radial center of the segmentally spherical end being coincident toaid in elfecting a non-shattering ejection.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawingwherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, enlarged view of an automatic ice molding andejecting means embodying the invention, with a portion thereof shown invertical section; and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the ejector pin thereof.

As seen in FIG. 1 of the drawing, a mold is provided with an invertedfrusto-conical cavity 11 having a large, open upper end-12 and a small,open lower end 13. Lower end 13 is closed by an upper end 14- of anejector pin 15. Pin 15 is biased downwardly by a spring 16 extendingbetween a shoulder 17 on mold 10 and an annular flange 18 on pin 15. Thedownward movement of flange 18 is limited by abutment with a retainingplate 19 secured to mold 10 as by screws 20. The upper portion 21 of pin15 is cylindrical and has a diameter substantially equal to the diameterof lower end 13 of cavity 11. Pin portion 2-1 is sealed to the mold 10by means of an annular seal 22 adjacent the cavity lower end 13'.

A body of water 23 is delivered to cavity 11 through the upper end 12thereof and is frozen therein by suitable means, such as disclosed inthe above indicated Fink Patent 2,981,079. The resultant ice body 24 isthen ejected upwardly from cavity 11 by sharply striking a lower portion25 of pin 15 which extends downwardly through retaining plate 19. Theimpact force breaks the bond between the ice body 24 and the wall ofcavity 11 and between ice body 24 and the pin upper end 14, and causesthe ice body to fly upwardly from cavity 11, as shown in FIG. 1 inbroken lines.

The impact force is delivered to the lower end portion 25 of pin 15 by astriker bar 26 pivotally mounted on the mold at one end 27 and urgedupwardly by a strong spring 28. A cam 29 secured to a rotatable shaft 30engages a follower block 31 on striker bar 26. As shaft 30 rotates in acounterclockwise direction, as seen in FIG. 1, it pivots strike bar 26in a clockwise direction until outer edge 32 of the cam moves pastfollower block 31 permitting the striker bar to be pulled quickly upwardly and strike sharply the lower end portion 25 of pin 15.

The impact force must be relatively large to break the ice body 24 freeof the cavity wall and pin upper end 14. The instant invention providesa segmentally spherical upper end portion 14 which tends to distributethe impact forces properly to preclude shattering and breakage of theice bodies notwithstanding the employment of a substantial impact force.More specifically, the center of curvature of the segmentally sphericalend 14 is made to coincide with the apex 33 of the frusto-conical cavity11 when the ejector pin is in the fully retracted position of FIG. 1.Thus, the wall of cavity 11 extends radially outwardly from pin end 14,substantially assuring the breaking of the bond between the ice body andthe cavity wall without breakage of the ice body.

Almost simultaneously, but instantaneously after the ice body is brokenfree, the energy stored in striker bar 26 causes the upper portion 21 ofthe ejector pin tomove upwardly through lower end 13 of the cavity andeject the ice body 24 upwardly from the cavity. Shaft 30 continues torotate and pivot striker bar 26 clockwise against the action of spring28. Spring 16 then restores the ejector pin to the retracted position ofFIG. 1, permitting the cavity to be refilled with water and a new icebody frozen therein.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, it isto be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes,therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in theappended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. Ice molding and ejecting means, comprising: a mold body provided witha cavity having an open upper end and an open lower end, said cavitybeing fmstoconical narrowing toward said lower end; and an ejector pinprovided with an upper end extending transversely across and closingsaid lower end of the mold body, said upper end of the ejector pin beingconvex upwardly whereby an upwardly directed impact force on said pinejects a body of ice formed in said cavity without substantial breakageof the same.

2. Ice molding and ejecting means, comprising: a mold body provided witha cavity having an open upper end and an open lower end, said cavitybeing frustoconical narrowing toward said lower end; and an ejectormember provided with an upper end extending transversely across andclosing said lower end of the mold body, said upper end of the ejectormember being convex upwardly and centered on the longitudinal axis ofsaid cavity, whereby an upwardly directed impact force on said memberejects a body of ice formed in said cavity without substantial breakageof the same.

3. Ice molding and ejecting means, comprising: a mold body provided witha cavity having an open upper end and an open lower end, said cavitybeing frustoconical narrowing toward said lower end; and an ejectormember provided with a segmentally spherical upper end extendingtransversely across and closing said lower end of the mold body, sadupper end of the ejector member being convex upwardly and centered onthe longitudinal axis of said cavity, whereby an upwardly directedimpact force on said member ejects a body of ice formed in said cavitywithout substantial breakage of the same.

4. Ice molding and ejecting means, comprising: a mold body provided witha cavity having an open upper end and an open lower end, said cavitybeing frustoconical narrowing toward said lower end; and an ejectormember provided with a segmentally spherical upper end extendingtransversely across and closing said lower end of the mold body, saidupper end of the ejector member being convex upwardly, the apex of thefrust'o-conical cavity and the radial center of said segmentallyspherical end of the ejector member coinciding, whereby an upwardlydirected impact force on said member ejects a body of ice formed in saidcavity without substantial breakage of the same.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS BrownJan. 8, Sherman n May 3, Marchaut Aug. 9, Kitto -Nov. 20, Rundell May31, Copeman July 11, Curry Mar. 29, Boeing July 26, Goldman Oct. 25,Fink Apr. 25,

